Imagine that you are sitting inside of a history or literature classroom. A calm political discussion starts to emerge around halfway through the class period. Realizing that the conversation has so far been one-sided, you decide to voice an opinion, despite it being quite unpopular in your area. You look around, and everyone becomes silent. Looks of contempt emerge from most of the students, even a bit from the teacher. The once calm environment erupts into a melancholy, with statements of immediate accusation coming from all corners of the room. But this wasn’t caused because you said something that was truly wrong, it was because people have it ingrained into their brains that only one idea is fact; there simply is no space for other ideas. This causes them to become clouded of the ability to properly comprehend opposition.

Situations like these aren’t uncommon in modern American society. A country that is revered for its “freedom of speech” seems more than ever not to live up to its name. Any mention of a controversial topic instigates a flurry of nonsubstantive verbal attacks. But what truly is the point of such vitriolic mudslinging? It advances no ideas and provides zero room for constructive debate.

It is crucial that people have thoughtful and sophisticated discussions on any topic, even - and especially - if it is something that you feel particularly passionate about. If a pro-life advocate says that abortion should be banned for 'x' reasons, don’t start yelling remarks such as “you don’t care about women’s rights”, explain why you think that way. When someone says “immigration shouldn’t be restricted”, don’t start screaming about how he/she “doesn’t care about the country,'' explain using logic and reasoning. When people can converse deeply about an issue without pointing blades at each other, society will take a good step forward.